Crossword Clue: Middle Eastern country, capital Damascus
Here's the answer to the Middle Eastern country, capital Damascus crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: SYRIA
The answer to "Middle Eastern country, capital Damascus" is SYRIA. Syria runs 5 letters — 2 vowels and 3 consonants — opening with S and closing on A. In a grid it fills a 5-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Syria borders the eastern Mediterranean in the Middle East. Its capital, Damascus, is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Common usage
You'll see SYRIA in grids regularly — its 5-letter, 2 vowels shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the S or A, SYRIA tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like SYRIA are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet SYRIA again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and SYRIA will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue SYRIA — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Once the S was confirmed by the crossing word, SYRIA was the only entry that fit."
- "A 5-letter slot and a clue like 'Middle Eastern country, capital Damascus'? That's SYRIA nine times out of ten."
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed SYRIA was right."